Commission for Judicial Appointments

Lord Varley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What further progress has been made in establishing the Commission for Judicial Appointments since the First Commissioner was appointed in March 2001.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: I am pleased to announce that Her Majesty yesterday made Orders in Council appointing 7 new Deputy Commissioners to assist Sir Colin Campbell, the first Commissioner for Judicial Appointments, in conducting an ongoing audit of the appointments procedures for judges and Queen's Counsel. The remit of the commission also extends to investigating individual complaints about the way these procedures are applied. The Deputy Commissioners are:
	Urmila Banerjee
	Tony Boorman
	Jane Drabble
	Frances Heidensohn
	Sir Duncan Nichol
	John Simpson
	Jean Tomlin
	Additionally, John Simpson is also appointed as Commissioner for Judicial Appointments in Northern Ireland.

Land Registry

Lord Burlison: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made towards the implementation of the recommendations made in the quinquennial review of Her Majesty's Land Registry.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: The Government have approved a wide-ranging programme of work in response to the review. Details will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	HM Land Registry is committed to providing the world's best service for guaranteeing ownership of land, and for facilitating property-related transactions. As a fourth time Charter Mark winner, the Land Registry already delivers excellent service to its customers. Further improvements to its internal operations recommended by the review are being pursued vigorously. By bringing forward this wider work programme, the Land Registry can, with the help of other government departments and stakeholders, develop innovative and customer focused services for an even better service.
	The main elements of the wider programme, much of which depends on the Land Registration Bill introduced in July, are to develop and promote electronic conveyancing services, including the National Land Information Service; expand the geographic coverage and content of the land register; explore ways in which the land register can contribute to making the property markets more efficient and more transparent; consider the business case for providing further advisory services relating to land registration by 2003; and launch a new independent adjudication service for land registration disputes in 2003.
	Those elements of the programme which are for the Land Registry to take forward, will be delivered through a new 10-year strategic plan which I shall publish in the spring.
	I and ministerial colleagues in other departments with responsibility for land and property markets will monitor the delivery of the programme closely. We will also review the arrangements for consultation across and between government and those involved in these markets.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has the power to interfere in the work of the Consensia Partnership on police recruiting; and, if so, where this power may be found in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: There is no specific role for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in the work of the Consensia Partnership under either the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 or the Police Recruitment Regulations 2001. However, Section 69(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 places on the commission a general duty to keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of practice relating to the protection of human rights in Northern Ireland.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With reference to the publication on 19 November of draft service flags for the Police Service of Northern Ireland:
	(a) whether any of the designated members of the Policing Board were informed about the drafts before 7 November;
	(b) which party leaders were consulted about the drafts; and
	(c) when the drafts were commissioned, by whom, who carried out the designs and how much they cost.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The chairman and vice-chairman of the Policing Board met the Minister, Jane Kennedy, on 11 October. At this meeting, they were told that work had been undertaken on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office by design consultants.
	No party leaders were consulted about the drafts before the beginning of the consultation period on 19 November.
	The drafts were commissioned by the Northern Ireland Office from a number of Northern Ireland-based designers, the details of which are commercially confidential. The aggregate costs for the sample emblem designs were £41,329.45 (inclusive of VAT). This figure includes research, presentation materials and colour photocopying.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they have adopted to ensure that a balanced approach is taken and seen to be taken, by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; and how the commission plans to explain its composition and role to the unionist community.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: As a designated public authority, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is subject to the statutory equality duties set out in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Its compliance with these duties is monitored by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in line with the procedures prescribed in Schedule 9 to that Act. This provides an important framework to ensure that the Human Rights Commission adopts a balanced approach to its work.
	Appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission are a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In making these appointments, the Secretary of State made clear that he was satisfied that he had fulfilled his statutory obligation to Xsecure, as far as practicable, that the Commissioners as a group are representative of the community in Northern Ireland".
	Once appointed, it is for the commissioners collectively to decide how best to explain their work and develop their relationships with all sections of the community in Northern Ireland.

Public Interest Immunity

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Where a document is made subject to a public interest immunity ruling by the High Court, on whose authority and in what circumstances such a document could be made publicly available.

Lord Goldsmith: Where the High Court upholds a public interest immunity certificate, the effect is that the documents covered by that certificate should not be disclosed in the proceedings in question. Disclosure for other purposes is a matter for the party having control of the documents, but where the nature of the documents is such that PII has been claimed for them, it follows that voluntary disclosure would be highly unlikely. If documents for which PII had been claimed successfully in one set of proceedings subsequently became relevant, and so in principle disclosable, in other proceedings, any further PII claim would fall to be determined by the court or tribunal hearing those proceedings.

Women and Public Services

Baroness Pitkeathley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to report on their work on women and public services.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The report Better Services–Better Working Lives has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	This document reports back on the work undertaken to look at how health and education public services are delivered for women. We know that the proportion of women with dependent children working full time has risen from 59 per cent in 1991 to 65 per cent in 2001. But women are still the people responsible for accessing services—91 per cent of women with school-age children say they normally take them to the GP and 61 per cent take them to school.
	In this publication we report back on what women have told us during a series of regional evidence-gathering visits supported by a wide range of good practice examples, new research findings and recommendations for national and local action.
	Copies of Better Services—Better Working Lives will be distributed to all the women who took part in the regional evidence-gathering visits and through the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills.

Israel: Settlements

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made any representations to the Israeli Government about Israel's proposal to establish a new settlement named Ma'ale Rehavam in memory of the late Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi and about the planned addition of 3,000 new housing units at Ma'ale Adumin, beside East Jerusalem.

Baroness Amos: We regularly remind the Israeli Government that we consider settlement activity illegal. We support the recommendations of the Mitchell committee, accepted by both parties, that all settlement activity, including natural growth, should be frozen. According to our information, the Defence Ministry approved 496 new units in Ma'ale Adumim on 28 May 2001 and 38 on 25 June 2001. We are not aware of any proposed new settlements to be named after Rehavam Ze'evi, but understand that two existing settlements might be renaming themselves in his memory.

Mr Mordechai Vanunu

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are aware that vigils for ending the solitary confinement and for the release of Mr Mordechai Vanunu, long imprisoned in Israel, took place in September in some 10 countries; when they last discussed this matter with the Government of Israel; and whether any progress was then made.

Baroness Amos: We regularly raise Mr Vanunu's long detention with the Israeli authorities and the British Embassy in Tel Aviv monitors the conditions in which he is held.
	We do not, however, have any formal locus to intervene on his behalf. There is no evidence that any British law was broken at the time of Mr Vanunu's departure from this country, and as far as we can judge he has been treated in accordance with the normal judicial process in Israel.

European Arrest Warrant

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will undertake to refuse to endorse the proposed European arrest warrant unless it is:
	(a) restricted to crimes which command a sentence of three years imprisonment or more;
	(b) made inadmissible in respect of crimes allegedly committed by a country's citizens within the jurisdiction of their own country but where that country's authorities have declined to prosecute.

Lord Rooker: The Government believe that the threshold for the European arrest warrant should be a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment. If the prosecuting authorities in the issuing state had decided not to prosecute someone in their own country, then any subsequent decision to prosecute the same person in seeking their return from abroad by means of a European arrest warrant would be governed by national law in the issuing state. If the issuing state makes a request for the return of someone on a European arrest warrant, and the judicial authorities of the executing state have decided not to prosecute for the offence in which the European arrest warrant is based, then, as currently drafted, the framework decision makes provision for the executing judicial authority to refuse to execute the European arrest warrant.

Heavy Goods Vehicle Operators: Taxation

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What evidence they have that heavy goods vehicle operators pay the whole of the direct and indirect costs for the use of the road system through taxes and duties.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government take account of relevant economic, environmental and social factors when forming taxation policy. The Government's Statement of Intent on environmental taxes, which was published alongside Budget 1997, stated that taxes are set to take into account the principle that the polluter pays, but it also recognised market circumstances, such as the effects on competition, and social considerations.
	Foreign lorries do not currently have to pay any taxes to operate in the UK. To address this, the Government launched a consultation document with the Pre-Budget Report on the options for the possible introduction of a lorry road-user charge.

United Kingdom Population Statistics

Lord Renton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people now living in the United Kingdom are not United Kingdom citizens.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Renton from the National Statistician, dated December 2001.
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the number of people that are living in the United Kingdom who are not United Kingdom citizens.[HL1787]
	The Office for National Statistics does not produce population estimates by citizenship. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) does however include a question on nationality, which can be used to provide estimates of the number of people who are not of UK nationality. It is estimated from the LFS that the number of people who were resident in private households in the United Kingdom in 2000, who were not of UK nationality, was almost 2.5 million.

United Kingdom Population Statistics

Lord Renton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the statistics of the 2001 population census will be published; what are the latest estimates of the present populations of the United Kingdom, and of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and of each of the regions of England respectively; and what was the population of the United Kingdom in 1991 and in 1996.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Leter to Lord Renton from the National Statistician, dated December 2001.
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your question on when the statistics of the 2001 Census will be published; what are the latest estimates of the present populations of the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and of each of the regions of England respectively; and what was the population of the United Kingdom in 1991 and in 1996 (HL1789).
	2001 Census Results
	The target date for mid-year 2001 population estimates by sex and age for all local authority areas in England and Wales based on the 2001 Census is August 2002. These will include an adjustment for births, deaths and migration between Census Day (29 April 2001) and 30 June 2001.
	The target date for summary Census results (Key Statistics for local authority areas throughout England and Wales) is December 2002. They will be laid before Parliament and accessible through the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk. More detailed results will be available throughout the first half of 2003.
	A prospectus giving more detail on publication dates will be issued at the beginning of next year and will be available on the National Statistics website.
	Latest Population Estimates
	An electronic copy of the latest national and regional population estimates can be found at the National Statistics website. The specific address is www.statistics.gov.uk/popest mid00.asp.
	UK Population mid-1991 & mid-1996
	The table below shows the population of the United Kingdom for mid-1991 and mid-1996.
	
		Table: Estimated population of the United Kingdom, mid-1991 and mid-1996
		
			 Mid-Year Persons (thousands) 
			 1991 57,813.8 
			 1996 58,807.2 
		
	
	Source: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

United Kingdom Population Statistics

Lord Renton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What the population of the United Kingdom is estimated to be in 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The latest set of national population projections give the projected total mid-year population of the United Kingdom for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 as follows:
	
		
			 Year Total (thousands) 
			 2003 60,372 
			 2004 60,561 
			 2005 60,753 
		
	
	Source: 2000-based national population projections, Government Actuary's Department

Iraq: Weapons Programmes

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they agree with the United Nations Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission that Iraq could have the ability to reconstruct its missile launchers; and, if so, what action they intend to take.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Yes. The UK Government agree with the United Nations Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission that Iraq could have this ability. However, since the withdrawal of UN weapons inspectors in December 1998, there have been no independent inspections of Iraq's weapons programmes. We cannot, therefore, state categorically that it does have the ability. Together with our P5 partners, the UK is actively engaged in producing a revised, more tightly-targeted regime to control Iraqi imports of the equipment required for its research development and rebuilding programmes.
	We continue to urge Iraq to allow the entry of UN weapons inspectors as required under UN Security Council Resolution 1284.

Iraq: Weapons Programmes

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Al-Fath and Al-Raad missiles have a potential range beyond the limit of 150 kilometres prescribed under United Nations Security Council Resolution 687; whether those missiles were on display at the annual Iraq Army Day Parade in July; and, if so, what action they intend to take.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Following the withdrawal of UNSCOM inspectors from Iraq in December 1998, there has been no independently-verifiable inspection or monitoring of Iraq's weapons programmes. It is not possible, therefore, to assess whether there has been any development work on these missile systems that might extend their range beyond the 150 kilometre prescribed limit.
	We continue to urge Iraq to allow UN weapons inspectors into Iraq to monitor and verify its ballistic missile and other weapons of mass destruction capabilities as required under UN Security Council Resolution 1284.

Afghanistan: Civilian Casualties

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer tabled on 23 October (HL936), whether they have made an estimate of civilian casualties in Afghanistan as an indirect result of aerial bombardment since 7 October; and whether they can confirm a report that up to 250 such casualties occurred in three villages at Shalwalikot near Kandahar.

Lord Bach: We cannot know for sure how many civilian casualties may have been caused indirectly by the coalition's air campaign over Afghanistan. While we investigate all such claims carefully, most cannot be verified, and I have no information about allegations of civilian casualties at Shalwalikot.

DfEE: Annual Net Running Costs

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the annual cost of running the Department for Education and Employment in each year from 1997–98 to 2000–01.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The annual net costs of running the former Department for Education and Employment in each of the years in question were:
	
		
			 Departmental Net Administration Costs 1997–98 Outturn* 1998–99 Outturn* 1999–2000 Outturn 2000–01 Provisional Outturn 
			 Within the Departmental Expenditure Limit £236 million £249 million £262 million £258 million 
			 From the Employment Opportunities Fund £1 million £3 million £3 million £4 million 
		
	
	* Departmental resource accounts were first produced for 1999–2000. Figures prior to that have been converted from cash to provide an indicative set of figures on a comparable resource basis.

National Curriculum

Lord Quirk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the citizenship, parenting, sex and relationship education elements in the national curriculum are adequate to ensure that young people have access to research findings on the outcomes for children of widely ranging family structures.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The framework for personal, social and health education for all key stages and citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 recognises that in-school provision should complement the personal and social development of pupils provided at home. We believe our framework provides teachers with the flexibility to discuss the issues. However, in line with other subjects in the national curriculum, we rely on teachers' professionalism to choose appropriate materials, including relevant research findings, to support their teaching.

Healthcare Workers: HIV Injections

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the human rights of a National Health Service specialist who wishes to keep secret the fact that he is carrying the AIDS virus override the human right of his patients to know such information.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Following recent advice from the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS and the United Kingdom Advisory Panel for Health Care Workers Infected with Blood-borne Viruses, it is Department of Health policy to notify those patients who have been assessed as being at risk from healthcare workers found to be infected with the human-immunodeficiency virus.
	It is no longer necessary to notify every single patient who has undergone an exposure prone procedure by an HIV infected healthcare worker because of the low risk of transmission and to avoid unnecessary anxiety being caused to large numbers of patients. Every effort should be made to avoid disclosure of an HIV infected healthcare worker's identity.
	This new policy will bring the United Kingdom more into line with other countries.

Hospitals: Data Collection and Ethnicity

Lord Chan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What data they have collected on the performance of hospitals in their duty to collect and use ethnic group data of all admitted patients in England.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The performance of hospitals in collecting ethnicity is measured by the Data Quality Indicator relating to admitted in-patient hospital statistics and published on the Hospital Episode Statistics website. Ethnic category also forms part of a data quality reporting tool made available on a monthly basis to regional offices.
	The ethnicity code contained a valid value in approximately 64 per cent of records in the 2000–01 Hospital Episode Statistics dataset.

Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How, under the terms of the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001, they intend to police clinics and laboratories using cloned human embryos; how they intend to enable inspectors to distinguish between human embryos created by in vitro fertilisation and those cloned by cell nuclear replacement; and what penalties will be imposed upon those who violate the law.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Under the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001, the penalty imposed on a person who places in a woman a human embryo which has been created otherwise than by fertilisation is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine or both. If a suspected crime under the Act is reported to the police, they will investigate it in the usual way. An embryo created by fertilisation is subject to the full regulation of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Stem Cell Research: Funding

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to provide public funds to private companies involved in developing human embryonic stem cells for experimental and therapeutic purposes; and what account they will take of a company's intention to patent any results of such research for purposes of private profit.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Government funding for stem cell research is primarily allocated by the research councils. The research councils do not normally allocate grants to private, for-profit companies. However, the Government announced in the Science and Innovation White Paper that targets would be set for participating departments to procure a proportion of their discretionary research and development expenditure from small and medium enterprises through the Small Business Research Initiative. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Medical Research Council are participating in the scheme. Applications have been invited but it is not yet known if any of this funding will be directed towards stem cell research.

Foot and Mouth: Compensation

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 November (HC Deb, 860W), what are the reasons for the decision not to pay compensation to farmers who were unable to move their livestock due to foot and mouth restrictions.

Lord Whitty: There is no statutory provision for compensating farmers who are unable to move their stock. This position is consistent with policy adopted by previous governments when movement restrictions have had to be imposed to control the spread of a notifiable animal disease.

Livestock Markets

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they anticipate that livestock markets will reopen for normal trade.

Lord Whitty: Some livestock markets have reopened in Scotland reflecting the lower number of foot and mouth disease cases there. A decision to reopen livestock markets in England and Wales will be made in the light of scientific and veterinary advice on progress with the eradication of foot and mouth disease. It is not possible to give a precise date but it is expected to be in the early part of 2002, provided there are no further outbreaks.

Refrigerators and Freezers: Disposal

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice they have issued, when and to whom, since the formal agreement of EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 on 29 June 2000.

Lord Whitty: Since EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 gained formal agreement, the Government have issued advice in a number of ways. These include a series of guidance booklets to industry and others, covering the key elements of the regulation and advice for specific industry sectors (also available on world-wide web), letters to and meetings with stakeholders and response to enquiries from individuals.
	The department wrote to English local authorities in October and December to outline the requirements of the regulation, its likely impact, and to issue guidance on the storage of fridges and freezers.
	Retailers and other stakeholders have been kept informed of the impacts of EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 through a series of stakeholder meetings (both general and specifically for retailers). The department has also written to small retail businesses through a number of trade associations to outline the impacts of EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 on the management of waste fridges and freezers.
	The department's web-site www.defra.gov.uk contains information relating to all these issues. An information leaflet for house-holders wishing to dispose of their fridges and freezers has been developed and circulated to retailers and local authorities for their use.

Refrigerators and Freezers: Disposal

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice they are currently giving to retailers of refrigerators and to local authorities in the light of EC Regulation No. 2037/2000.

Lord Whitty: Officials have had regular contact with retailers and local authorities, including through stakeholder meetings. The department has recently written to all English local authorities to issue guidance on the storage of waste refrigeration equipment, prior to CFC extraction, and to provide information for householders disposing of fridges and freezers. An information note for householders informing them of how to dispose of their fridge or freezer has been issued to retailers and local authorities for their use. The department's web-site www.defra.gov.uk also contains information on the requirements of the regulation with regard to the management of waste fridges and freezers.

Salmon: Catches by Rod and Line

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many salmon have been caught by rod and line in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.

Lord Whitty: The figures for salmon catch by rod and line in each of the past five years are as follows:
	
		
			  England and Wales Scotland Total* 
			 2000 17,596 65,721 83,317 
			 1999 12,505 52,533 65,038 
			 1998 17,109 73,146 90,255 
			 1997 13,047 60,683 73,730 
			 1996 17,444 69,578 87,022 
		
	
	*No data are available for Northern Ireland.
	(NB The figures include salmon caught and released as well as those caught and retained.)

North Sea Drift Net Fishery

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress is being made to end the North Sea drift net fishery; what organisations and anglers are participating; and who is funding the operation.

Lord Whitty: In their formal response to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group report, the Government announced that they would provide up to £375,000 in each of the next two financial years, subject to match funding from private interests, towards the voluntary buyout of mixed stock salmon drift net fisheries in England. Efforts are focusing on the largest of these, that off the north-east coast.
	Constructive discussions between representatives of the drift netsmen and conservation and riparian interests, assisted by officials from the Environment Agency and DEFRA, are ongoing.

Foot and Mouth: Farm Cleansing and Disinfection Logs

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many letters headed XFarming Cleansing & Disinfection Log/Diary" have been despatched from the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Lord Whitty: 480 letters were sent to farmers in the area covered by the Newcastle Disease Control Centre.

Foot and Mouth: Farm Cleansing and Disinfection Logs

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which Act of Parliament or European Union directive requires a log or diary of cleansing and disinfection operations following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Lord Whitty: There is no specific United Kingdom legislation or EU directive that requires a cleansing and disinfection log to be kept on individual farms. However, for disease control purposes, there is an administrative requirement to keep detailed records of the C and D process on each affected premises. In addition, to obtain reimbursement from Community funds of 60 per cent of the costs of cleansing and disinfection, the relevant information must be recorded in order to satisfy EU auditors that all the necessary C and D actions have been completed satisfactorily.

Foot and Mouth: Farm Cleansing and Disinfection Logs

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any consideration was given or professional advice sought as to the possible effects upon their health of the receipt by farmers of the letter headed XFarming Cleansing and Disinfection Log/Diary" from the Newcastle Disease Emergency Control Centre and of their ability to provide the information requested.

Lord Whitty: This letter was prepared by staff at the Newcastle Disease Control Centre with wide experience of the farming community, who took into account the likely response from individual farmers. Farmers in the area had previously been advised that a cleansing and disinfection log would be required to be maintained and this letter sought farmer assistance in obtaining and presenting the details from existing farm records. For the majority of farmers this has not been a problem. In any cases where farmers had difficulty with this request, the letter offered on-farm DEFRA assistance in obtaining the information.

Traveline

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the latest survey available from the Traveline partners of the failures and accuracy of the information they give.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Traveline is subject to an on-going programme of mystery shopping. The second wave of mystery shopping has just been conducted and the Traveline partners received the report on 4 December 2001.
	The report suggested that Traveline had improved since the first wave of mystery shopping four months earlier. The time taken to answer calls and the customer service elements of the calls were generally satisfactory or good. Overall, the answers given to 93 per cent of test calls were completely accurate, although there was some variation between different types of calls and between different call centres. There was some scope for improvement in offering to all travellers a complete itinerary and a choice, where appropriate, between different operators. There was also room for improvement in calls that need to be transferred from one call centre to another. The Traveline parties are working to address these issues and will continue to improve their service.

Speed Cameras

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of the draft regulations requiring all speed cameras to be painted yellow and provided with advance warning signs:
	(a) what road accident reduction figures will be achieved by enabling motorists to slow down before they see a camera and ignore speed limits elsewhere in the knowledge that hidden cameras will be banned; and
	(b) how many accidents will have to take place on a particular stretch of road before the Government will permit cameras to be installed.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The eight areas piloting the netting off scheme, in which programmes of promotion and information to drivers on where cameras are placed have been a part, have achieved a large reduction in deaths and serious injuries at the camera sites. There has been no transfer of accidents to sites or roads elsewhere. It would follow that an additional increase in driver awareness of the sites of cameras the new visibility rules are intended to bring would improve casualty reduction still further.
	The rules of entry to the netting off scheme contain guidance on where to place both fixed and mobile cameras. There should be evidence of speed-related casualties clustered around a particular location or along a stretch of road with the general guide of there being eight or more injury accidents in the preceding three years. Before cameras are placed, it should be clear that other methods of speed reduction are inappropriate.

Speed Cameras

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the road safety benefits of motorists not being caught by surprise by hidden cameras.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Speed enforcement cameras reap most road safety benefit when placed at sites or on routes with a history of speed-related accidents. Greater awareness of the presence of cameras should encourage more drivers to comply with speed limits and so reduce collisions and accidents.

Safety Camera Project Board

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the role, the budget, membership and the date of set-up of the Safety Camera Netting-off Project Board.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Safety Camera Project Board was set up in January 1999 to develop and trial a funding system for safety (speed and traffic light enforcement) cameras using fixed penalty fine revenue and, if successful, to advise Ministers on how it might be made available nationally. Following national rollout, the board continues to develop rules of entry to the netting-off scheme and recommend to Ministers new member partnerships.
	It has no specific budget. It is chaired by DTLR and comprises representatives of the Home Office, HM Treasury, Lord Chancellor's Department, Crown Prosecution Service, Highways Agency, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly, Association of Chief Police Officers, Local Government Association, CSS and TAG.

London Underground: Private Finance Initiative

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has so far been the cost to public funds of legal, financial and other advisers for the private finance initiative scheme for the London Underground.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: I understand from London Transport that its expenditure on external consultants from 20 March 1998 (the date of the Government's announcement) to 30 September 2001, for work on the PPP and restructuring of London Underground, was £80.2 million.

Planning: Green Paper

Lord Williams of Elvel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the Green Paper on planning.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Following our review of the planning system, we are today publishing a Green Paper Planning: delivering a fundamental change setting out our proposals for reform.
	A good planning system is vital to our quality of life. We need a system that fully engages people in shaping the future of their communities and local economies. The present planning system is too complicated, too slow and engages insufficiently with local communities. We need to make it more efficient and more accessible so that it better serves everybody with an interest in the growth and development of their community, whether individuals, businesses or representative organisations.
	The Green Paper sets out our proposals for simplifying the complex hierarchy of regional, county, unitary and local plans. We propose to replace local plans with new local development frameworks that will have two main components: a set of core criteria that will allow local authorities to express a vision for the future of their areas and a strategy for its delivery; and action plans for specific areas where detailed planning is required. These include, for example, neighbourhoods, villages, town centres and major development sites. We intend that action plans should be a particular focus for community participation in the planning of local areas.
	The Green Paper proposes a much stronger emphasis on customer service, including delivery to business. New targets for processing planning applications by local authorities will distinguish business from householder applications in order that all applicants should have a clear and realistic expectation of the speed of decision. We propose that delivery contracts should be agreed between local authorities and business for the biggest planning applications that would include an agreed timetable for reaching planning decisions.
	The Green Paper proposes the introduction of business planning zones in which planning consent will not be necessary for certain businesses so long as strict quality standards are met. We propose that each region should have at least one zone to promote technology companies.
	The Green Paper seeks to put communities at the heart of the planning system. We propose better community participation in the preparation of our new local development frameworks and action plans. A statement of community involvement will set standards for consultation on planning applications and plans. Master planning of major sites will help developers to plan for higher quality development, in partnership with local people and local authorities. There will be a much clearer procedure for submitting planning applications and a new emphasis on openness and accountability within the planning process.
	We also propose to speed up the handling of planning applications that have been called in and appeals that have been recovered for my determination. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State gives reasons where applications are called in but, up to now, they have not been given when he has decided not to call in an application. In the interests of greater openness he shall, from today, give reasons in both circumstances.
	Copies of the Green Paper are being placed in the Libraries of the House. An electronic copy can be viewed at www.planning.dtlr.gov.uk.

Planning Application

Lord Williams of Elvel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will give reasons for not calling in planning applications.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: As part of our fundamental review of the planning system, we have decided that as from today we will give reasons for our decision not to call in planning applications. This decision, which forms part of the raft of measures in our planning Green Paper published today, is in the interests of transparency, good administration and best practice. The courts have established that there is no legal obligation to provide reasons for not calling in an application.
	It should be borne in mind that the issue before him for decision is not whether the application should be granted planning permission but whether or not he should call it in for his own determination. The Secretary of State's policy on calling in planning applications—which is to be very selective—is set out in the written reply by my right honourable friend, the then Minister for Planning, (Richard Caborn) to a Parliamentary Question on 16 June 1999 [Official Report, Commons; col. 138] in another place. That approach is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Local planning authorities are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.

Compulsory Purchase and Compensation

Lord Wedderburn of Charlton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish the consultation paper on compulsory purchase and compensation.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Following the fundamental review of compulsory purchase procedures and compensation, we are publishing today a consultation paper setting out our proposals for major changes to the way that the compulsory purchase and compensation system operates. Our objective is to make the system simpler, fairer and quicker. We will simplify the law, clarify the powers available for acquiring land for planning and regeneration purposes; speed up the confirmation process; ensure that implementation follows promptly once an order is confirmed; and provide a fairer basis for assessing compensation.

EU Transport Council: 7 December Meeting

Lord Gregson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the outcome of the Transport Council held on 7 December.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Transport Council met in Brussels on 7 December and my right honourable friend the Minister for Transport (Mr Spellar) represented the United Kingdom.
	The main focus of the Council was on the Galileo satellite navigation project and on aviation security. We are pleased to say that on both issues the outcome was satisfactory from our point of view.
	On Galileo, Ministers were asked to agree to the release of funding from the Trans-European Networks (TENs) budget to enable the project to proceed to its next phase, and to agree on the management structure that the project would have. My right honourable friend was among Ministers to press for deferral of decisions on the project. He drew attention to the concerns which the recently issued PriceWaterhouseCoopers report had raised, on public sector funding, overall cost and lack of commercial benefits. The report made clear that any decision on the joint undertaking would have funding implications, so he argued that a decision on this should not be taken while funding issues were not sufficiently clear. There was also some discussion of the details of the draft regulation to establish the joint undertaking, but a majority of member states declined the Commission's request for a vote to agree the text. Decisions on the next phase of Galileo were deferred and no formal conclusions were agreed. The Presidency indicated that the Galileo project might be discussed further at the European Council at Laeken later this month.
	The Council reached a political agreement on a regulation establishing a Community framework for airport security standards and monitoring. The Commission had initially insisted on arrangements to oversee member states which were operating more stringent security measures. But in response to concerns which we and others expressed about the need for freedom to respond to perceived security threats, it accepted that member states should be free to apply additional measures, provided they were in accordance with Community law. This important measure should ensure that high standards are in place throughout the EU and create a safer environment for air passengers using EU airports.
	There was discussion of a draft directive on occurrence reporting in civil aviation, on the transposition of JAR-OPS standards into EC law, and on a draft directive on the training of aviation cabin crew. No decisions were reached on the first two issues, and the Presidency concluded that no progress was possible on the third. The UK view is that provision for cabin crew training should be included in the JAR-OPS legislation.
	The Council noted the difficult economic situation faced by the air transport sector. On war-risk insurance, member states wished to return to a market approach, but the industry was not ready for that yet. In the interim the Commission was prepared to continue to approve state aid measures up to end March 2002, subject to monthly reviews. Ministers also noted the need to consider urgently ways to address possible unfair competition from third country carriers; the Commission will present a proposal in the near future.
	The Council noted the importance of making early progress on the recent proposal for a directive to replace the hushkits regulation.
	The Council reached political agreement on the regulation to establish a European maritime safety agency, which was proposed as part of the ERIKA II package of maritime safety proposals. We are content with the text as agreed.
	The Council agreed the text of a directive to simplify reporting formalities for ships leaving and entering Community ports. It was able to accept the European Parliament's position on the proposal, and therefore reached agreement at the First Reading.
	My right honourable friend and the French Minister, with support from the Commissioner, stressed the need for member states to make quick progress on ratifying the Hazardous and Noxious Substances convention and other maritime pollution compensation conventions, as the December 2000 Council Conclusions had urged.
	The Council noted a Presidency progress report on the proposal to update Regulation 3820/85 on commercial drivers' hours and rest periods. Further consideration of this will pass to the Spanish Presidency.
	My right honourable friend maintained the UK's opposition to the proposal to extend the fitting of speed-limiting devices to goods vehicles above 3.5 tonnes and to coaches/buses with over eight passenger seats regardless of weight. He argued that we were not in favour of a threshold below 7.5 tonnes, but that an extension of European regulation of 7.5 tonnes would be in line with UK law. We expressed our doubt that the safety and environmental consequences of fitting limiters to lighter vehicles would be beneficial. The Presidency concluded that Council adopted the proposal by qualified majority. The proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament early in the new year.
	The Council reached political agreement on a draft directive setting out initial and ongoing training requirements for professional drivers.
	Following the recent fires in Alpine road tunnels, the Commission reported to the Council that it would propose legislation early in 2002 to improve safety. The proposals will address issues relating to technical equipment, driver information, traffic controls and training of operational staff. We await further details of the proposals, and will need to examine them carefully.
	The Presidency presented its conclusions on the Commission's White Paper on transport policy, published earlier this year. The Presidency largely agreed with the White Paper's assessment of the negative impact of uneven development of different transport modes, and believed that modal shift and enhancement of quality should be promoted. It hoped the Council would further examine the White Paper and looked forward to Commission proposals to implement the priorities emerging from further discussion.
	Under XOther Business", my right honourable friend raised the issue of the new digital tachograph and the deficiencies in the regulation on which the specification is based. I had previously written to the Commissioner asking her to propose amendments to address these shortcomings, which would create serious enforcement difficulties. Other Ministers at the Council supported me in asking the Commission to re-examine the issue and bring forward a new proposal to amend the regulation. My right honourable friend expressed his disappointment at the Commission's response, which did not address the concerns we had put forward.
	Finally, the German Minister spoke of the safety benefits of ensuring that rigid bull bars were not fixed to road vehicles above 2.5 tonnes, through voluntary agreements with industry. The Commission agreed that this was a useful suggestion, but stressed that it was the responsibility of the Internal Market Commissioner.
	No votes were taken at this Council.

The Historic Environment

Lord Gregson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish the Government's statement of policy towards the historic environment.

Baroness Blackstone: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions will tomorrow publish the statement The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and will be available at my department's website at www.culture.gov.uk.